Sirius vs. Snape

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 99440

 
 Alla said:
> > Love. It all goes back to love for me. I prefer human being who 
is 
> > able to express love for someone else. If Sirius survived (until 
> > Rowling officially negates that on her site, I am still inclined 
to 
> > believe in it :o)), Harry would have a father figure, who loves 
him 
> > just for him. I know that some posters said that Snape is the 
real 
> > father figure for Harry, but sorry, does not cut for me yet.
> > 
> > Yes, being strict is good, but positive reinforcement is also 
> > necessary. :o)


 And Kneasy replied:

> Love. That stuff. It addles your brain, encourages you to do things 
that
> in retrospect you'd rather forget. That's romantic love, of course.
> So what sort of 'love' do you postulate between Harry and Sirius?
> Father and son? I don't think so. Harry sees Sirius as a link to 
James,
> not a replacement. Unless you're thinking of going gay just about 
any 
> other sort of love between males is pretty unlikely. 

Marianne interjects:

I'm a bit confused.  Love between males can only be father-son or gay?
Seems a bit limiting.  God, how wonderful it is to be female and able 
to feel and express others sorts of love...but I digress.

As much as you may hate it, JKR has several times in OoP expressed 
Harry's affection for Sirius. Chap 5, pg. 83 (US edition): "Harry 
felt a sudden upsurge of affection for his godfather."

Chapter 14, pg. 300. "And with a surge of sympathy for his godfather, 
Harry thought that Sirius was probably the only person he knew who 
could really understand how he felt at the moment, because Sirius was 
in the same situation..."

Chapter 37, pg. 828 "He would have been so interested to know all 
this months ago, and now it was meaningless compared to the gaping 
chasm inside him that was the loss of Sirius..."

Now, of course, this could be merely the whinging of the dim, addled, 
stupid, head-up-his-arse, clueless Harry that a lot of people claim 
to see. 

Or, horror of horrors, it could actually be JKR trying to indicate 
that, indeed, there was a bond, which included some sort of affection 
(not gay, not necessarily father-son) between Harry and Sirius.  And 
that's all.  Affection. Not that the bond between them was the equal 
of any father-son bond. Not even that the two of them may have not 
necessarily perceived each other clearly, seeing the warts and flaws 
in each other's character. But, affection none the less.  

Kneasy:
IMO Harry is grasping
> at the idea of belonging somewhere - the fact that it's Sirius is 
largely
> irrelevant. Anyone would do.

Marianne:
Yes, Harry does want to belong somewhere.  But, evidently "anyone" 
would not do.  Hagrid? Dumbledore? Vernon? Arthur Weasley? Snape?  
None of these people seem to have fit whatever void Harry is trying 
to fill.   Maybe Sirius is not the ideal person; I guess Harry has to 
keep searching.

Kneasy:
> What does Sirius feel for Harry? A debt. He feels he owes him for 
Lily and
> James. He feels guilty. And that isn't love. Left to his own 
devices he would
> spoil Harry rotten. Not good.

Marianne: 

I'm one of those who does think that Sirius loves Harry.  I won't 
argue the point with you.  Neither of us will convince the other.  

Marianne